Vaccinations
Travel Health Services is your vaccination centre in central Ohio. Whether you are an international traveler or staying right here in the U.S., we can help protect you against a myriad of infectious diseases. An important part of our service is education about immunization and the risk of infectious diseases both at home and abroad.
- What is Vaccination?
- Our Vaccinations
What is Vaccination?
Vaccines are the most powerful tools to protect against disease. They safeguard millions of children and adults from life-threatening illnesses. Vaccination is the administration of a purified fragment taken from killed bacteria or viruses. Some vaccines contain a live virus, but in a very weak form that does not cause disease. Some vaccines are now engineered synthetically, which increases their safety. Vaccines "teach" the immune system to recognize and fight bacteria and viruses before an infected person can get sick. By giving a small "sample" of the germ, the body can develop resistance without actually getting the disease. Protection may need to be renewed periodically with booster vaccinations.
Smallpox was the first disease people tried to prevent by purposely vaccinating themselves. Smallpox inoculation was started in India or China before 200 BC. Smallpox vaccination has been such a success that the disease has been eradicated worldwide. As each new vaccine was introduced the incidence of the targeted disease has dropped dramatically. Polio has been virtually eliminated from the Americas, and the number of measles and meningitis cases dropped sharply since the vaccines have been introduced. Vaccines rank among the top 10 public health achievements of the 20th century.
Vaccinations at Travel Health Services
Travel Health Services will review your current immunizations and help you get "caught up" with your vaccinations, protecting you both at home and abroad. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) outlines the recommended routine vaccination schedules for US Citizens. Adults and teen-age children may receive routine immunizations at Travel Health Services. You may find that many providers prefer not to stock some vaccines, such as meningitis, HPV and shingles.
Infants and children should receive routine immunizations at their pediatrician's office, since this is usually a time for additional well child evaluation and consultation with parents.
Click on the links below to jump to the CDC recommendations for routine vaccinations for infectious diseases and to considerations for international travelers.
- CDC Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons 0-6 Years - United States
- CDC Recommended Immunization Schedule for Persons 7-18 Years - United States
- CDC Recommended Adult Immunization Schedule
- International Travel Vaccinations
Travel Vaccinations:
When you travel, you can be exposed to bacteria, germs, and viruses that may not be present in the US. Besides being current on your routine vaccinations, there are additional considerations. At Travel Health Services, we are experts at identifying the risks of diseases for your travel itinerary. We are certified to administer the Yellow Fever vaccine.
The countries you visit, the activities you intend to pursue, your current health situation, your current vaccination status will determine what vaccinations you need before you travel. We can advise you on the health risks for your destinations, provide vaccinations where warranted, and provide you with important information on how to protect yourself from diseases for which a vaccine is not available. Consider Travel Health Services your "Travel Health Consultants".
Some of the vaccines you may need include:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis A is a serious viral infection of the liver spread by contaminated food and water. It is common outside the United States and is recommended for travel to Mexico, the Carribean and any destination that has less than optimal sanitation.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection of the liver that can lead to cancer and/or death. Vaccination is important to protect travelers who volunteer in health care or work with children. Hepatitis B is spread through contact with infected blood and sexual contact. It can be transmitted to ill or injured travelers via needlestick and blood transfusion in countries where health care is less than optimal.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Japanese Encephalitis
- Japanese Encephalitis (JE) is a serious infection caused by a virus. It occurs in certain rural parts of Asia. Encephalitis means swelling of the brain. JE spreads through the bite of infected mosquitoes. It cannot spread directly from one person to another. Japanese encephalitis can cause mild infections with fever and headache or more severe infections with encephalitis, and about 1 in 4 of such cases results in death. Symptoms of more severe infection are headache, high fever, neck stiffness, stupor, disorientation, abnormal movements, occasional convulsions (especially in infants), coma, and paralysis.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Meningitis
- Meningitis is a dangerous illness caused by a bacteria that can infect the bloodstream, brain and spinal cord. Devastating epidemics occur in certain parts of the world where up to 10% of the population may carry the meningitis bacteria in the nose and throat without having any symptoms. Meningitis vaccination is recommended for travelers to parts of Africa and Saudi Arabia.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Rabies
- Rabies is a disease that has been known since ancient times. The Greek word for rabies means "madness". Rabies is mainly a disease of animals. Humans get rabies when they are bitten or scratched by infected animals. The rabies virus has an affinity for nerve tissue and gradually migrates from the point of entry to the central nervous system (brain) where it causes irritability, seizures, hallucinations, and paralysis. At that point rabies is always fatal.
- Wild animals, especially bats, are the most common source of human rabies infection in the United States. Skunks, raccoons, dogs, and cats can also transmit the disease. Human rabies is rare in the United States and there have been only 39 cases diagnosed since 1990. However, between 16,000 and 39,000 people are treated each year for possible exposure to rabies after animal bites. Rabies is far more common in other parts of the world, with about 40,000 - 70,000 rabies-related deaths each year, mainly in Asia, Africa and South America. Bites from unvaccinated dogs cause most of these cases. Vaccination is required for all veterinary workers in the U.S. and is recommended for travelers over the age of one year visiting areas where rabies is endemic. Three injections are required for the initial vaccination; two boosters are given after a suspect bite. Rabies is the 10th most common fatal infection worldwide. Vaccination is the only effective method to prevent infection or to treat early rabies.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Typhoid
- Typhoid (typhoid fever) is a bacterial disease caused by Salmonella Typhi. Typhoid causes a high fever, weakness, stomach pains, headache, loss of appetite, and sometimes a rash. If it is not treated, it can cause bleeding and perforation of the colon. Typhoid fever kills up to 30% of people who get it. Some people who get typhoid become "carriers", who can spread the disease to others. Generally, people get typhoid from contaminated food or water. Typhoid is rare in the U.S., and most U.S. citizens who get the disease are infected while traveling to countries with poor hygienic conditions. Typhoid strikes about 21 million people a year around the world and kills about 200,000. Vaccination against typhoid is recommended for persons traveling to endemic areas of S.E. Asia, Africa and Latin America
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Yellow Fever
- Yellow Fever is a viral hemorrhagic disease spread through the bite of an infected mosquito. Yellow Fever cannot be spread directly from person to person. Yellow fever can cause fever and flu-like illness, jaundice (yellow skin or eyes), and liver, kidney, respiratory and other organ system failure and death. Yellow Fever is found in certain parts of Africa and South America. After vaccination, an international certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is issued. Vaccination must be within the last ten years and the certificate must be issued at least ten days prior to travel from infected areas.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Influenza
- Influenza is spread year round in the tropics. Risk is increased in crowded airports and on airplanes.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
You may receive prescriptions for the following:
- Malaria Prophylaxis/Prevention
- Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease caused by a parasite. People with malaria often experience fever, chills, and flu-like illness. Left untreated, they may develop severe complications and die. Each year 350-500 million cases of malaria occur worldwide, and over one million people die, most of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa.
- There is no vaccination to prevent malaria. However, this sometimes fatal disease can be prevented and cured. Antimalarial drugs, bednets and insecticides, are effective tools to fight malaria in areas where it is transmitted. Travelers to a malaria-risk area should avoid mosquito bites and take a recommended antimalarial drug.
- Travel Health Services uses the four different malaria medications that are recommended by the Center for Disease Control: chloroquine, doxycycline, Malarone, and mefloquine (Lariam). Your travel nurse consultant will discuss which malaria medication is appropriate for you based the region to which you are traveling, potential side effects, and ease of administration. The medication must be taken for a specific time before, during and after travel to a malaria endemic area.
- Antibiotic for Traveler's Diarrhea
- Traveler's Diarrhea, also known as Montezuma's revenge or the Trots can ruin several days of your stay. Travel Health Services educates you to best prevent this illness, and offers one of two broad-spectrum antibiotics, ciprofloxin or azithromycin, for immediate treatment.
- Motion Sickness Prevention
- If leaning over the bow of the ship is not your idea of a great vacation, you may need medication in the form of a patch or a pill.
- Altitude Sickness
- If you are traveling above 9,000 feet your travel health specialist will make recommendations to prevent altitude sickness and may suggest a medication, Diamox, to prevent symptoms.
Routine Adult Vaccinations:
- Tetanus, Diptheria, Pertussis
- Tetanus, or lockjaw, is often a fatal disease. A toxin produced by the bacteria causes severe muscle spasms that are extremely painful and can paralyze the muscles of the heart and lungs. Tetanus lives in the soil and enters the body through cuts and puncture wounds. It has been found in gardeners who have punctured the skin with a rose thorn or a piece of mulch. Since the tetanus shot was developed in the 1920's, tetanus cases have declined dramatically. The tetanus shot, made from tetanus toxin, is nearly 100 per cent effective in preventing tetanus. However, many adults lack protection against tetanus; adults should get a tetanus booster every 10 years. Since the reservoire for the tetanus bacteria is the soil, the risk of tetanus can never be completely eradicated.
- Diptheria is a contagious disease caused by a bacterial toxin that attacks the throat, tonsils, nose and voice box. Severe complications are breathing problems, heart failure, coma and death. Before vaccination became widespread, diphtheria was one of the main causes of infant mortality. Diptheria is rare in the U.S., but still persists in certain areas of the world, particularly in Africa and S.E. Asia. Epidemics occur as a result of inadequate vaccination programs. Vaccination helps protect from a resurgence in the U.S.
- Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes severe coughing spasms that may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and exhaustion. In children, the coughing often ends with a "whoop" noise. The sound is produced when the patient tries to take a breath. The whoop is rare in patients under 6 months of age and in adults. Coughing spells may be violent enough to cause vomiting. Because pertussis can cause permanent disability and death in infants, adults should receive a single booster included in their next tetanus shot (Tdap). Adults who will be around infants (parents, grandparents, caregivers) should receive the new Tdap booster if it has been two or more years since their last tetanus shot
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
- Human papilloma virus is the name of a group of viruses that includes more than 100 different strains or types. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the genital area of men and women. Most people who become infected with HPV will not have any symptoms and will clear the infection on their own. However, some of these viruses are called "high-risk" types, and are responsible for virtually all cases of cancer of the cervix, vulva, vagina, anus, or penis. Gardasil, or HPV vaccine, is recommended for young women ages 13 to 26. Gardasil can provide immunity to 4 strains of the HPV virus. Girls should receive the vaccine long before they become sexually active, to ensure adequate protection. This vaccine will also protect against many causes of genital warts.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Meningitis
- Meningitis is a dangerous illness caused by a bacteria that can infect the bloodstream, brain and spinal cord. It is passed among individuals living in close quarters, such as college dormitories and camps. Formerly, the fatality rate for meningitis exceeded 50%, but early diagnosis, modern therapy have lowered the fatality ratio to about 10% in developed countries. Among survivors, 11%-19% will have long-term effects, including hearing loss, neurologic disability, or limb loss. Devastating epidemics occur in certain parts of the world. Up to 10% of the population in countries with endemic disease carry the meningitis bacteria in the nose and throat without having any symptoms. This vaccination is recommended for college freshmen and travelers to certain parts of the world.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Pneumonia
- Pneumococcal pneumonia is a virulent bacterial cause of pneumonia and meningitis in adults. This bacteria is protected by a special capsule that also increases its virulence. Early symptoms include a high fever, cough and shortness of breath. Thousands of adults die from this type of pneumonia in the U.S. every year. The vaccine is recommended for adults over the age of 65 and for younger persons with chronic diseases such as asthma and heart trouble. A booster may be given after 5 years if the first vaccination was given before the age of 60.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Influenza
- Influenza, or "the flu" is not the stomach upset many people think of. Influenza is a serious respiratory illness with symptoms of high fever, severe body aches and cough, and can progress to pneumonia and death. Each year influenza causes approximately 36,000 deaths and 226,000 hospitalizations in the U.S., mostly among the elderly and other ages with chronic medical conditions. The influenza virus constantly mutates, or changes structure, so scientists must decide which strains are most likely to cause disease for the next year and include those strains in the vaccine. Adults may believe they have been made ill by receiving the flu vaccine. However, the Influenza vaccine does not contain any live virus, and cannot cause the flu. Because the vaccine is given from October through the winter, and many colds and illnesses occur during that time, a person may mistakenly believe the vaccination caused an illness. Flu vaccination should be an annual event for adults over the age of 50 and for younger persons with chronic diseases such as asthma, diabetes and heart disease.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis A is a serious viral infection of the liver spread by contaminated food and water. Hepatitis A can be a mild disease in children but can be severe enough in adults to cause hospitalization and even death. Hepatitis A is found more frequently in the Western U.S. and is common in many other countries.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection of the liver that can lead to cancer and/or death. Hepatitis B is spread through sexual contact and contact with infected blood (transfusions, tattooing, body piercing and injections with contaminated needles). In the U.S. about 12.5 million persons have been infected with Hepatitis B. Most adults have not received this vaccination, although it is a requirement for health-care workers and is a routine childhood immunization.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Polio
- Polio is an infectious disease caused by a virus that lives in the throat and intestinal tract. It is most often spread through person-to-person contact with the stool of an infected person and may also be spread through oral/nasal secretions. Polio used to be very common in the U.S. and caused severe illness in thousands of people each year before the polio vaccine was introduced in 1955. Most people infected with the polio virus have no symptoms. However, for the less than 1% who develop paralysis, it may result in permanent disability and even death. Polio has been eliminated in the U.S. but is still prevalent in many parts of the developing world.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Measles, Mumps, Rubella
- Measles is an acute, highly communicable rash illness due to a virus transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets. The incubation period of measles is generally 14 days (range 7-18). Infected persons are usually contagious from 4 days before until 4 days after the onset of the rash. Measles was once considered a childhood disease, but recently adults in the U.S. have accounted for 48% of cases. Travelers to Europe, Japan and India may bring infection back to the U.S. Measles can cause pneumonia, brain damage and death.
- Mumps is a viral illness characterized by swelling of the salivary glands. Mumps, is also considered a childhood disease but can cause serious complications in males after puberty with swelling of the testicles and in rare cases, sterility.
- Rubella, or German Measles, is a viral disease that can affect persons of any age. Although rubella is generally a mild rash illness, if contracted in the early months of pregnancy it is associated with a high rate of miscarriage and complications that include birth defects, such as heart problems and mental retardation. About 10% of young adults in the U.S. are unprotected against rubella, and outbreaks occur on college campuses and work sites.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Varicella (Chickenpox)
- Chickenpox, or Varicella, is a highly contagious disease that is far more serious in adults than children. When contracted after childhood, teens and adults can experience complications of severe skin infection, pneumonia, brain damage and death. Before the varicella vaccine, about 11,000 people were hospitalized for chickenpox and about 100 people died each year in the U.S.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement
- Zoster (Shingles)
- Shingles is a recurrence of the chickenpox virus that survived in a person after the childhood disease, and lived quietly in a nerve ending for many years. Occasionally the virus may become active and cause a sudden outbreak of painful blisters along that nerve ending. Most adults know someone who has suffered chronic debilitating pain as a result of shingles. Shingles vaccine, or Zostavax, is recommended for adults over the age of 60. Zostavax is approximately 75% effective in either preventing shingles or causing the attack to be shorter and less intense.
- Click Here for CDC Vaccine Information Statement